I’ll admit, I’m in new territory submitting my script in lieu of my finished films to competitions. And as my feature action/adventure tale of swashbuckler hero-types ACTUALLY progresses in the competitions, I’m amazed at the perceived insignificance of it. I truly think writers get the short end of the stick.
Yes – there are 100s of competitions out there that really don’t mean squat to an aspiring filmmaker. The same is true of writing comps or film festivals. However, there are a few that honestly open doors for new talent. Here are the top 5 competitions my research has determined to mean anything.
#1 Nicholl’s Fellowship – Ran by the academy and open only to non-professional writers (you can’t earn your living writing to win this fellowship). Even quarterfinalists get industry attention. HOWEVER – they got 6404 script entries this year. Wow.
#2 Austin Film Festival – 17 years and still running. This competition runs simultaneously with their large Screenwriting Conference.